A Critique and Comparison of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy and Merrill's First Principles of Instruction

The Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RBT) and Merrill's First Principles of Instruction (MFPI) are two very similar, yet unique instructional models.  Each has a main focus that is somewhat different from the other.

There are two major components to the RBT: Types of Knowledge and Cognitive Processes.  Each of the four Types of Knowledge contain Sub-Types that detail the type of learning that should take place in each category.



There are six components to the Cognitive Processes in the RBT beginning with Remembering and ending with Creating.

http://informationtechnologytoolkit.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/file/view/BloomingWebTools.png/279498858/BloomingWebTools.png

The RBT does a great job of differentiating between how we should learn and what we are learning.  Having the ability to tailor a lesson based on the content that should be learned is a major component to effective teaching.  Lessons require different levels of learning and should be taught in different ways to accommodate the needs of the student.  The RBT is geared towards explaining to students the different levels of learning and what each level involves.  Sometimes we forget the most important step in teaching, teaching the students how to learn. 

Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are comprised of the five first principles.  These principles are guidelines for creating effective instruction by the teacher for the learner.

Table 1: Augmented first principles and reflective questions for design

Principle	Learning is promoted when…	Questions to ask yourself
Problem and task centered	Learners are engaged in solving real world problems and tasks	Does the instruction involve real world problems and tasks relevant to the learner? Does the instruction show the learners what they’ll be able to do at the end of the learning experience? Does the instruction include the components or chunks required for the successful completion of the problem or task? Does the instruction show multiple examples of the problem or task?
Activation	Existing knowledge is retrieved or activated as a foundation for the new knowledge or learning	Does the instruction make use of or activate learners’ prior knowledge as a foundation for the new learning, including cognitive structures to help organize the new knowledge? Does the instruction help learners see relevance of the problem task and boost confidence in ability to complete successfully?
Demonstration	New knowledge (task) is demonstrated to the learner	Does instruction show what the learner will learn versus telling what he or she will learn? Are examples consistent with content being presented (including non-examples)? Is learner guidance included (focus on relevant content, multiple perspectives, linking new knowledge to current knowledge)
Application	The learner applies new knowledge	Do learners have a chance to practice and/or apply learning? Are activities and assessment aligned with learning objectives? Is feedback provided after practice? Is coaching or scaffolding available to learners?
Integration	New knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world or context	Do learners have the chance to reflect, discuss, and/or defend their new knowledge or skill? Does instruction encourage learners to transfer learning to everyday contexts?

 http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1233/research-for-practitioners-are-there-basic-principles-across-all-instructional-design-models

Here is video on MFPI-  https://youtu.be/rSIYP0BgOTw



Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are also comprised of different levels of thinking.  Each level requires more conceptual thinking and understanding.  This learning design model does an excellent job of helping the instructor understand all the questions they need to be thinking about as they design their lesson.  

Here is a spicy node to show the similarities and differences 

http://www.spicynodes.org/a/663e46d91d8668cff3d519a591748dfd

Critique
While the RBT lays out a clear path for learning, it can be difficult to differentiate between the levels of the Cognitive Processes.  They have a tendency to overlap.  Reaching the creating step in the process is more involved and requires a real depth of understanding.  This model is more beneficial to students than teachers.

MFPI's design is very thorough and does an excellent job of outlining the design process for teachers.  This design does not specifically focus on the student.  However, it does provide a great guide for the teacher and assists the students by providing a pathway for instruction.

I feel that Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are more beneficial to me at this point in my life.  It is more focused on assisting teachers in designing a thorough lesson and providing them with the right questions to ask when designing that lesson.  The RBT is more focused on the actual student and providing a pathway to effective learning.